major engine trouble.

[gatorman21218]

ok well with my leakdown test I dont see any leaks anywhere. Also with that much blow by I dont see how it could be anything else but the rings. I dont know how a valve job could blow the rings out on all the cylinders, but at this point nothing else makes since. I just dont know. Nothing makes since at this point and I am thisclose to taking 3 steps back and punting

 

[yARIC008]

Something else has to be going on here. A valve job won't destroy your rings, theres just no way if it was a proper valve job.. Are your oil sprayers working under the pistons? Are the pistons cracked from your ether spraying or overheating? Did your oil get some contaminate in it and take out bearings and rings somehow? Do you happen to have any of the oil left so you can send some to blackstone and see *** is in it?

Something just doesnt add up... Could your new valve guides/valves maybe have been misalligned or be the wrong size somehow and sent metal shavings into your cylinders destroying your rings? If the guides were shot that wouldnt show up on a compression test if the valves were still seating well enough to hold some pressure especially with your new stronger springs.

What stem seals did you use on the new valves? The same as a stock 7.3? I assume you replaced them \ installed them even though you didn't mention stem seals in your first post. If you didnt install any that might explain how you burned so much oil and maybe toasted the rings.

Anyways, just kind of thinking aloud here...

 

[gatorman21218]

Well only one guide and one seat were replaced. The other valves guides/seats were within spec. All the seals were new from the International gasket kit. Think they were the umbrella type and Russ said they were fine to use.

Dont think the pistons were cracked when the heads were off. I didnt x-ray them but they appeared to be in good shape. No pitting or other marks on them besides a little carbon. The truck never overheated.

The Ether was used on the 3rd day or so after I started to have starting problems. And only once did the ether ever start the truck. and it barely started too. No big bang nor did it really take off/ race after the juice.

And the piston oilers? I have no idea since I did not touch the bottom end.

The engine built oil pressure before the initial start up. The oil pressure was reading fine the whole time after the rebuild. Idle 20 and at speed 40 when warm. cold pressure is about 20 psi higher.



I talked to the machine shop today and his thought was the rings too. He did offer to take a look at the heads and verify they were good, so before I yank the engine I am going to take the heads back to him. Then I can inspect the pistons and cylinder walls at the same time and see if there is anything obvious there as well.

 

[gatorman21218]

Engine is out. I can now cross that off my bucket list. So I am going to take it as much apart as possible to save on shop time. I will update later with the report from the machine shop.